1. Technical Field
The present disclosure relates to systems, apparatus and methods for performing a medical procedure, wherein a microwave ablation safety pad is used to protect a healthy portion of body tissue during a microwave ablation procedure. More particularly, the present disclosure relates to a microwave ablation safety pad configured to protect the healthy portion of body tissue during the insertion of a tissue penetrating energy delivery device into a target tissue, during the delivery of microwave energy to the target tissue and from a cutting device used during a subsequent resection of the target tissue. Embodiments of a microwave ablation safety pad in accordance with the present disclosure provide a plurality of protective layers to protect a healthy portion of body tissue from the possible effects of physical, thermal and/or electrical contact from a microwave energy delivery device and/or a resection device.
2. Description of Related Art
In one step of a microwave ablation procedure a microwave energy delivery device is positioned in a portion of target tissue. One particular mode of placement includes the use of a tissue penetrating microwave energy delivery device that is positioned in a portion of target tissue by percutaneous insertion. One potential risk of percutaneous insertion occurs when the clinician inserting the percutaneous device overshoots the target tissue and the tip of the percutaneous device makes physical contact with tissue adjacent the target tissue.
The risk of overshoot of a percutaneous device into adjacent tissue becomes particularly relevant when the adjacent tissue is susceptible to damage. For example, accidental insertion into a member of the vascular system (i.e., a vein, artery and/or heart), a portion of the respiratory system (i.e., lung) and/or a portion of the digestive system (i.e., esophagus and/or stomach) may lead to undesirable complications.
Multiple insertions of microwave energy delivery device with a system array or repeated insertions for particular procedures may further exasperate the potential risk, e.g., an organ resection procedure where a plurality of devices are inserted along a resection line in order to facilitate the removal of a portion of the organ.
After the positioning step, microwave energy is delivered to a target tissue. In many procedures, the target tissue is often adjacent a portion of healthy tissue wherein thermal heating and electrical interference from the electromagnetic fields generated by the microwave antenna may unnecessarily transfer additional heat or energy outside a desired target area.
The present disclosure describes a multilayer apparatus configured to isolate healthy tissue from a target tissue thereby preventing physical, thermal and/or electrical contact between the microwave energy delivery device and the electromagnetic fields generated therefrom and the adjacent healthy tissue.